DSM-III-R AND ICD-10 PERSONALITY-DISORDER FEATURES AMONG WOMEN EXPERIENCING 2 TYPES OF SELF-REPORTED HOMESICKNESS - AN EXPLORATORY-STUDY

This study investigated the intensity of DSM-III-R and ICD-10 personal ity disorder features among females experiencing self-reported homesic kness. Three groups were compared: (a) a group of women experiencing c hronic feelings of homesickness (CHS); (b) a group of women experienci ng episodic attacks of homesickness, each time they go on holidays (EH S); and (c) a group of healthy control females, recruited from the gen eral population (HC). This study aimed to investigate whether the home sick participants showed stronger features of personality pathology th an the controls and whether those who report experiencing chronic feel ings of homesickness showed stronger features of personality pathology than those who at the moment of testing were not in an actual state o f homesickness. Glass effect sizes revealed that the DSM-III-R avoidan t and dependent and the ICD-10 anxious and dependent traits were most strongly associated with either type of homesickness. Finally, CHS was particularly associated with passive-aggressive traits and EHS with s adistic traits. Based on the stories of 21 homesick women, a link betw een adverse attachment experiences in childhood and certain personalit y features on the one hand and homesickness on the other is tentativel y suggested.